Over the last 150 years, the general design of eyewear has largely remained the same. Traditional eyewear such as spectacles are typically secured to the face with temple pieces that connected to the sides of the frames and wrapped around the ears. Traditional eyewear is susceptible to falling off a wearer's face or into an uncomfortable position when the wearer looks down or bends over. In attempt to remedy this problem, wearer's may attach a retainer strap (such as those available under the mark CROAKIES®) to the temple tips that wrap around the ears to provide the eyewear with additional retention to the wearer's face. The typical retainer strap can hold the eyeglasses in place during physical activity or can facilitate carrying the eyeglasses while the eyeglasses dangle from the wearer's neck when not in use.
Traditional eyewear, with or without the typical retainer strap, can become uncomfortable if worn for long periods of time as the temple pieces press against the wearer's head or ears, often causing external compression headaches. The traditional eyewear is also heavy, adding to the discomfort of extended use. The bulk of the traditional eyewear also makes storage inconvenient, with the traditional eyewear typically being too large for comfortable storage in a pocket. The temple pieces are also prone to breaking or bending, which can make it difficult to keep the traditional eyewear in a level position on the wearer's face. The various metallic or composite compounds of the traditional eyewear, especially the temple pieces, can lead to allergic skin reactions. Moreover, the hinges that connect the temple pieces to the frame in the traditional eyewear are usually fragile and susceptible to breaking. Thus, it is with respect to these considerations and others that the present invention has been made.